Tomorrow's Hope and Today's Discontent
by GoldenSilence
Summary: Bumbumbum....chapter 6 is now up!Malon has lost any sort of hope she had in dreams and chance..will Link revive that hope?R and R please!: [previously titled: A Fairytale In Reality]
1. Default Chapter

@A fairy tale in reality@  
CH. 1-Love unreturned  
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A/N-Umm..this is my first ever zelda fic. *waves shyly to all the authors in the zelda section*:)This is also going to be a good couple of chapters..and then I'm going to have a second version of the story from Zelda's point of view.  
  
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The sky that morning was a blurring mix of several variations of orange and pink, a tornado of shades of color, looking as if some madcap artist had streaked the sky with his paintbrush.  
  
It was the kind of morning that made the peasants who had to wake up in the wee hours to begin the drudgery and toil of their daily lives briefly glad that they weren't nobles. This sort of thing seemed to be reserved just for them, as the nobles didn't rise early enough to ever see the sunrise. They couldn't-no, they didn't, want to be associated with the peasants in any way..and rising at the same time as they did seemed preposterous to the elite members of society.  
  
It was a magnificent sunset, but Malon didn't notice it at all. Usually she was too tired to get up this early in the morning, even earlier than she had to..but what was on her mind was just begging to be released. In the faint morning light, Malon was seething and scribbling furiously away in a simply made, old leather book.  
  
Dear diary, how could this happen?HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?I usually write in you at night, but I was busy washing down the horses after the race in celebration of..Wait, let me back up and get to the heart of the matter. Yesterday there was a huge ceremony celebrating the defeat(or rather, banishing) of Ganondorf.  
  
I knew the whole thing was going to be in Link's honor, but not...I can hardly believe..  
Link has been made a prince!!  
  
He was supposed to save me from Ingo and make my life have the fairytale ending I always dreamed it would have..not have his own life made into one!  
  
Arrggh. I should be happy for Link, I suppose, but oh, I'm so sick of shoulds! So, why aren't I happy for him, you ask?You diary, are far to noisy, but I'll tell you anyway.   
  
Sure, being a prince is wonderful and all that-and of course Link deserves it..of course.  
But I'm feeling very selfish and upset right now and that's not the way I see it. If he's a prince, that means zero visits to the farm from now on.  
  
Once a week or so he would drop in to buy a quart of Lon Lon Milk. I'm..I'm working all the time, I guess you could say, and Link's visits, however infrequent they were, gave me something to look forward to.  
  
If he's a prince, there go any slight hopes I had of escaping from this dungheap. It didn't use to be before that leech, Ingo took over, but I don't have time to write about that.   
  
I really don't have time to pity myself either..but I can't help it. After I write all this, I think I'll get it out of my system. I hope I will. Godesses, why did he have to become a PRINCE??  
  
My affections will never be returned. I mean, I never really thought they would before either, but it's just ten times more hopeless now. He'll be living only a matter of yards from zelda in a seperate wing of the castle..they'll be living within the same palace walls.  
  
Now, I know that his highness, Zelda's father, stated in his speech that Link will inherit the castle..which means he plans on getting zelda married off to some other king who owns faraway lands, I guess. Still, what I can't help thinking is, what if..just by chance..Zelda loves Link as I do?I know he has some sort of affection for her. They are always together, and now will probably be more than ever.  
  
Smack!   
  
Ink splattered across the edge of the book as a hand slapped Malon's cheek with all the power that it possessed- and oh, how well she knew that power.  
  
"You!Get to work, lazy!"  
  
You..as if I was an animal instead of a human being, thought Malon disgustedly..yet I do ten times the work of even the horses around here. She didn't dare voice her opinions aloud. Instead, she bent her head, letting her tangerine orange hair fall in front of her face to conceal the pain and rage written there.  
  
"Yessir" she mumbled, her voice barely audible. If there was one thing Ingo hated besides her, in his words, "shiftlessness", it was being reminded that Malon was human. Therefor, Malon kept her face carefully blank at all times and when she couldn't do that..hid it.  
  
Her face wasn't the only thing she was trying to hide today, though. Malon kept the brown book behind her back, knowing Ingo had seen it and would most likely take it. Everything of hers had to be owned by him. Except for her body, for which Malon never failed to rejoice each day. Even if worst came to worst, at least she wasn't just a cheap thing for a man's pleasure.   
  
Always gifted with a sharp eye, Ingo had noticed the plain book from the moment he had snuck up behind Malon and wasn't fooled in the least. He yanked forcefully at both of Malon's wrists and grabbed the book truimphantly, eyes alight as if it was a secret treasure.  
  
No. He won't take this from me. He has my mother's old things. My father's ranch and animals. My trinkets. My freedom. But he won't take this from me!   
  
Malon, for once, didn't think about the consequences of incurring Ingo's wrath. She pinched and scratched at the one arm holding her wrists captive and Ingo let go with a curse, hissing in pain and drawing back his hand, now adorned with a thin line of blood running from elbow to wrist.  
  
While he was distracted, Malon reached up, snatched her diary back from his now loosened grip, and was off at a run for the stables; her sanctuary. She could hear Ingo's heavy footsteps behind her as he chased her and realized with a sinking feeling that he was quickly gaining on her. Her hands fumbling with the locks on the doors for a second, Malon then made straight for Epona's stable.   
  
She had only enough time to push the book underneath the bale of hay Epona was munching placidly on before a rough hand grabbed her ear and dragged her to the back wall of the barn. Another hand pushed her and Malon flew into the wooden wall, leaving a smear of blood against the area she hit.  
  
Malon kept her body tense and showned no sign of pain, not even flinching at what followed; Ingo's fists pounding into her back and head. He pulled her back by the roots of her hair and growled at her, his rancid breath in her face.  
  
"You can hide that little book of yours all you want. Remember, I find out all of your secrets sooner or later."  
  
Malon waited until his retreating back was out of sight and then, and only then, her head throbbing, did she sink her battered body down into the hay and cry. Epona, perplexed at the image of her mistress so sad, simply nuzzled her in silent comfort.  
  
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A/N=YeP,I know it was kinda short! Opinions of all kinds are appreciated!(except for flames, which I really don't consider opinions)Review please?:)  
  



	2. Hyrule Market

~A Fairy Tale In Reality~  
Ch.2-Hyrule Market  
by:GoldenSilence  
A/N#1=Thanx to everyone that reviewed!I appreciate it!Hope you review this chapter too.:)  
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It was already noon and the streets and alleys of Hyrule were bustling; full to bursting with people. All ranks of society were gathered there, wizened old ladies, raggedy children, comely young men and women, shifty theives, and a few regal nobles gathered here and there trying to maintain as much distance from the other aformentioned people as possible.  
  
Even outside the main gates, Malon could hear the pandemonium barely contained within..and she had a good feeling Epona could as well, from the way that she pricked her ears back. Deciding it was too chaotic that day at the market for her to ride Epona in, Malon tied Epona to an old oak tree nearby and took the several bottles of milk out of the horse's sattlebags.   
  
Balancing two of the large size bottles on each broad shoulder and unhitching the cart of smaller size ones that Epona had been dragging to carry them herself, she carefully walked across the drawbridge and into Hyrule Market. Business was first on Malon's mind at the moment, and she looked neither left nor right. She missed the blonde haired young man as he entered Hyrule Market himself, the same moment as she walked in the door of the local trading shop.  
  
Finding the usual assortment of merchants, she chose the most likely looking buyer(another words, the least stubborn) and started argueing over the selling price of the Lon Lon milk.   
The merchant appraised her in his own way as well, she looked tired and quite gullible..probably would be glad to get the heavy cartons of milk off her hands at whatever price.  
  
"Right. That's what?Twenty ruppees?"  
  
On that point the merchant was mistaken..Malon's fragile appearance belied an incredible stubborn streak. Years ago, her father would have fallen for such a deal..in fact, he had, many a time before Malon had taken charge off the lucrative end of the business when she was still a little girl. One reason she had become so shrewd with money was thanks to that fact.  
  
"One case is worth twenty ruppees. I'm giving you four" Malon said, nonplussed. She loved bargaining. Sure, she had to act like she had no backbone around Ingo, but no amount of mercy was spared on the merchants she sold the farm's goods to.  
  
The man's rugged, weather beaten face showed surprise and dislike..but only for a minute before breaking into a slow smile of begrudging admiration. This girl wasn't going to budge an inch until she got her full pay, he realized.   
  
"Ay, you're a keen one. You're right..fifty ruppees..and well earned, they is to. Why, I'll even throw in an extra ten on account of your being so pretty and all."   
  
He chucked her under the chin at this and his smile changed into something Malon did not like at all.  
  
"Eighty ruppees..not one less" she said in a clipped tone, jerking away from him as quickly as possible. The merchant sighed. "Eighty?Oh, you deserve that much, I'm sure..even if it's a bit high".."milady" he added craftily. Milady, thought Malon-what a joke. The term reminded her of Link. Being a lady was probably the only chance she would have had of ever getting close to him. She felt slight tears come to her eyes and blinked furiously. He would pay extra rupees for that, she would see to it.  
  
"..I would pay as much, I would," continued the merchant,"you can ask anyone around town. I'm an honest man..but milady"-(Malon's temper, far from being flattered into a cheaper price as the merchant hoped, only flared more at his use of milady once again)-"I have children to feed and I'm afraid what with accounts to get the wee starving things a mite to eat, I can only spare sixty ruppees at most."  
  
Merchants really were actors first and foremost, Malon mused, looking at the man as he attempted an expression that was obviously intended to gain sympathy. She laughed right in his face. "You know, that speech would be almost touching..if you actually had any children."  
  
The young man's face fell. "Whatd'ya mean?"  
  
"I sold to you last week and you told me you were a lone traveling man. Now both stories can't be true, I believe. So one of them must be a lie."   
  
The merchant shook his head in disbelief. "The only one lying is you. I suppose you won't be wanting to sell to me now?I warn you, I'm the only one that will pay such a foolishly steep price."   
  
Malon grinned triumphantly. She had the man cornered. "Deal."  
  
"Deal on what?" The man was dumbfounded. Must better suited to the stage than his chosen proffession, thought Malon. "You just agreed to pay eighty rupees" she stated. Malon opened her hand in wait for the money. Malon knew and the merchant knew that merchants and other Hyrulians couldn't back out of deals. It was an unspoken sort of law on the streets. You could beat up someone in a dark alley, but you wouldn't break a deal. That was just the way it was.  
  
Sighing, the merchant admitted defeat as he spilled the glittering rupees from a small leather pouch into Malon's eagerly waiting hands. Satisfied and her burden considerably lightened, Malon walked out of the shop, leaving the merchant exactly the opposite. "Stupid wench" he muttered as he examined the contents of the milk jar in the light.  
  
Back out in the hubub again, Malon started off to her next destination, noting that the crowd of Hyrule Market seems even more boisterous than usual, if that was at all possible.  
Delivering another carton of LonLon milk to the hag behind a small booth and pocketing the money in her apron, Malon was trying to maneuver her empty cart around a particularly tight corner in the alley when a small street urchin collided in to her, crashing the cart over and sending both him and Malon to the pavement with a thud.  
  
Malon hurried to right herself and the cart, glaring at the boy, who couldn't be a day older than nine at most. Just the age to be a good quality pickpocket, thought Malon critically, looking over the boy's dirty and unkempt appearance.  
  
"Alright, boy. Hand it over."  
  
"Hand over what?" The boy asked his question innocently enough, but Malon was not to be fooled. "However many rupees you just now stole." The boy looked indignant and impatient as he picked his own scrawny body up off the cobblestones. "I didn't steal anythin' lady."  
  
Malon raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. Most of the time, when you got bumped into you were almost guaranteed to get back up a few rupees lighter than you were before.   
  
"Look,miss, believe what you want to believe..but I didn't steal nothin'! the boy protested and pushed her roughly aside at the same time. "Now if you don't mind, I got to go get me an autograph.."   
  
He took off at a run, leaving Malon to stare after him. "Autograph?For who?" she called curiously. The boy, in response, spoke backwards over his shoulder. "The Hero of Time's, o'course!Are you daft, lady?"  
  
Malon felt shock course through her body. "Where?What do you mean?" Malon managed to sputter out..but the boy didn't respond. She followed in the direction he had gone, her heart and emotions racing at the thought that Link might be nearby. Pushing her way through the throng of people that had become even thicker and more condensed than usual, Malon reached the center of all the commotion..  
  
Link was there alright..buying a bouqet of roses from a stand. For who?Malon had to stand on tiptoes to get a good view over a giant of a man who was debating whether or not to go to approach the Hero Of Time.   
  
Her heart, which had been rapidly rising at the prospect of seeing Link again, dropped in a puddle at her feet. Link was handed the roses over to a slim, blondehaired haired young lady in silk and pearls who could only be one person..Zelda. Malon wanted to turn away; the sight was too painful, but she couldn't, her eyes drawn towards Link as his fine lips moved, making some comment to Zelda. Or at least, she couldn't until Link sensing her gaze, meet her eyes with his.  
  
Blue clashed with green..and Malon hastily drew her eyes away, knocking over her cart yet again. He hadn't seen her, had he?Oh Nayru, please don't let him have seen her!  
  
Malon wanted to sprint as hard and fast as she could away from both Link and Zelda but she felt paralyzed there on the spot..luckily, Her legs carried her of their own accord and she ran to the nearest building; The Marauder's Tavern. Once there, she took a seat in a remote corner and took a small square object out of her apron..the diary. She had taken to carrying it everywhere with her lately so Ingo wouldn't find it.  
  
Dear diary..this is the one time I have that where I'm not being ordered around or beaten. Besides my mind and free will, this time is all I own. Of course, Link has to ruin it all by showing up and turning my emotions upside down. No, I take that back..I have no time that is my own..It feels like whatever time isn't owned by Ingo is owned by Link, thoughts of him or him in person. The latter was what happened today.   
  
He was in Hyrule Market with Zelda and he bought her a bouqet of flowers. I shouldn't worry about it. I really shouldn't. But I saw..the way he looked at her, stood so close to her. I'm either going insane or Link loves Zelda. Maybe it's a bit of both. He sensed me, I think, no, I'm positive he did because he looked right at me..and I couldn't bear it. This is stupid. I hate Link. I wish he would just leave me alone instead of continueing to pop in and out of my life.  
  
A slight tap on Malon's shoulder nearly made her jump in to the air. She snapped the book shut. "Excuse me, miss"-the voice was slightly apologetic-"but if you're not going to have a drink, it would be to your best interests to get going."  
  
Malon nodded. "Of course." She waited until the bartender had gone over to check on two surly looking men kept falling out of their chairs and demanding more ale, then stuffed her diary back into the underpocket on her apron and left the place. Outside again, Malon remembered the cart. Panicking, she began trying to retrace her steps, thinking all the while that Ingo was going to make her life even more miserable than it already was if she didn't find that cart right away. Though it probably would have done more good as firewood, Ingo wouldn't hesitate to find another thing to blame on Malon's carelessness.  
  
Finding the upturned cart right where it had been, Malon crouched over to grab a hold of it and set it upright. She breathed a sigh of relief that immediately died in her throat when she stood up and turned around to find herself looking at Link again. He was only a mere twenty or so feet away and there was no doubt about it this time, was staring at her quite deliberately with a look of..worry?  
  
Malon didn't stay to find out what else was hidden in Link's gaze, she did what was starting to become second nature to her whenever she was around Link..she ran.   
  
Link had seen enough in Malon's gaze to worry him sufficiently. The usually simple green eyes filled with sadness had another emotion or two mixed in..hate and something Link couldn't name..or for her sake, didn't want to name. He called after her, yelling her name, figuring that would slow Malon down. But he was wrong. Very wrong. The sound of her name carrying across the chatter of others only served to make Malon run even faster.   
  
Link wasn't going to lose her so easily. Something was up with her and he wasn't sure what. He knew she had seen him in the marketplace..so why hadn't she bothered to come up and talk like in the days of old? Link sincerly hoped she wasn't being brainwashed like all the other subjects of the kingdom by his new and improved station. Muttering something to Zelda he ran off after Malon, pushing aside various townspeople in his attempt to catch up.  
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A/N=What do you think?Constructive critism appreciated!*off for some caffeine*..ever noticed what great coasters mousepads make?..:)  
  
  
  



	3. Advice

@A Fairytale In Reality@   
Ch.3-Advice from an unlikely source   
by:GoldenSilence   
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A/N=I have to apologize for how long it"s been since I updated this..I"ve been in Europe for the past three weeks, so I couldn't use my laptop. From now on, updates should be once every week and a half or so. To everyone that reviewed the last two chapters of this or gave me encouragement, you have no idea how much I appreciate it!Thanks.:)   
Oh yeah, changed the name of Malon's horse she took with her to Hyrule Market..its' name is Ariana, and Link has Epona instead. (Confusing,huh?)   
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Link had to be at his most alert to follow Malon through Hyrule Market. The market was really just one big center square. It didn't possess myriads of twists and turns like the alleyways did. It shouldn't have been that difficult to keep track of one person, thought Link crossly as he continued his chase of Malon, but it was when the person was one of many in a place filled to the brim with people, animals, and carts.   
  
Several times Malon went out of his eyesight and Link would have to run even harder to catch a glimpse of her again, bumping thousands of elbows and stepping on thousands of feet along the way and apologizing an equal number of times with the little bit of breath in him as he raced by the indignant townspeople.   
  
A little bit of red hair here, reflecting the sunlight, a small bit of the cheap pink material of her skirt there was all Link needed to know he was still on Malon's trail.   
Link ran fast but Malon ran faster, boosted by her head start.   
  
When Link reached the huge raised iron gate of Hyrule's drawbridge, he at last took a few second to breath in great gulps of air. Keeping up with Malon was definitely no easy job.   
  
Malon was having a similiar struggle trying to stay ahead of Link. Her lungs were fit for bursting but she didn't dare stop. Link, far from unfit would use such an oppurtunity to catch up with her.   
  
She ran full force across the drawbridge connecting Hyrule Market's sheltered walls to the outside plains, the plain wooden shafts clanking and grinding noisily in response to the pounding of each of her feet. Malon rushed up to the tree borderlining the moat and quickly and efficiently untethered Ariana from it.   
  
Swinging herself up unto her broad brown back, Malon gave one sharp tightening of the reins and the horse was off at a gallop. Disturbing birds from their nests and seeming to make the ground tremor, the powerful war horse was directed on the path towards Kakariko Village.   
  
A great whinny from Malon's horse alerted Link to Malon's escape. Dust flew into his eyes as the horse rushed past. Hurriedly rubbing out the agitating particles, Link pilled out his ocarina and blew out a few notes.   
  
Epona didn't have to hear the song twice. Before the song could even die into just a refrain in the wind, Epona was trotting over a grassy hill towards him. He swung himself slapdash into the saddle and switched from following Malon on foot to keeping course after her on horse. Epona rose magnificently to the occasion. Unfortunately, Malon's horse was just as quick, if not faster, than Epona.   
  
By the time Link had gotten to one side of the small stream and was facing the Kakariko Village, Malon and Ariana were already on the other side and safely inside the town.   
  
Link was frusterated. He wanted to find out why Malon was acting this way, sure, but he couldn't go around chasing her all day like this. If she didn't want to talk to him, she didn't want to talk. Link firmly believed if he stayed away from her for simply a few days, she would see how silly avoiding him was and tell him whatever was at the heart of her doing so.   
  
Of course, he would then be avoiding her..but that wasn't exactly something that crossed Link's mind. Zelda was waiting back at Hyrule market and his thoughts were mostly with her at the moment.   
  
Epona's footprints on the ground covering Ariana's, Link turned his horse around and made to go back to Hyrule Market. He fought to shake the strange sinking feeling he felt in the pit of his stomach all the way there. Must just be nerves from getting prepared to propose to Zelda, he told himself..besides, Malon would come around sooner or later.   
  
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Malon caused quite an entrance into Kakariko village. Her horse, spurred on by the gallop across Hyrule's plains, blew past the entrance and the guard stationed there all at once.   
Ariana stopped only when several stray chickens began nipping at her heels.   
  
Stamping at them irritatedly with its' hooves, it slowed down enough to give Malon a chance to leap neatly off its' back. Leaving her horse stationary by the tree at the center of the village again, Malon headed off for the old potion shop to get the last two bottles of Lonlon milk off her hands. Her stride was brisk one. It wasn't exactly the dead on run she had been in earlier, but her stiff walking wasn't far from turning into it.   
  
Should a certain blonde haired young man chose to show himself, she was ready to flee. Eventually though, hearing no sound of horse or running feet in pursuit of her, Malon lost her urgent pace and began walking much more slowly.   
  
Why had Link followed her in the first place? Malon wondered as she pushed open the door to the potion shop with one hand, balancing the two bottles of Lonlon milk between her other hand and her hip. Probably just to ask her if he could have a jug of milk or something..or maybe, Malon turned to a more positive anwser...Had he come to apologize for failing to visit the last few weeks?Simply missed talking to her?   
  
A picture of Link picking her up and swinging her around in a circle happily like she had seen other couples do in Hyrule Market crossed Malon's mind. Malon vanquished it. Nah, he would never..she was sure. A little too sure. Once Malon believed something of someone, she just couldn't imagine the opposite was true.   
  
Madame Augusta made no move of her heard or sound from her mouth to acknowledge Malon's entrance into her shop. Trodding across the oriental carpet, Malon went past several vile pots of potions. They tasted just as vile as they looked Malon knew from her own experience. It looked like Madame Augusta was in the middle of stirring one but when Malon got closer, she realized Madame Augusta wasn't doing what she appeared to be at all.   
  
In fact Madame Augusta was asleep with her head on the giant rim of a cauldron. Setting the jars of milk on the floor, Malon shook her by the shoulder roughly to wake her up. Wake Madame Augusta did-with a start. She jumped up int othe air and waved her laddle wildly at Malon.   
  
"Thief!!Swindler!!Criminal always returns to the scene of the crime, I knew it! Sneaking up on me all quiet like-thought you'd steal a little something while I snoozed, huh? Hah!   
Clumsy nincompoop, jarred me shoulder hard enough to break it- See what happens when you steal from MY shop. I'll bludgeon ye' to peices, strewn ye' to bits, chop ye' to smithereens.."   
  
She said all this in almost one breath without even bothering to turn around. However, when she did, the gloating expression on her face changed completely and she ceased brandishing the laddle like a deadly sort of sword.   
  
"Eh?Just ye' then, Malon. Too bad. Thought I'd caught that raggaband at last." Augusta muttered quite a few profanities under her breath that weren't normally associated with an old lady of her years.   
  
Malon tried to look as if she had no idea what Madame Augusta was talking about(and furthermore, couldn't possibly know the theif personally.)   
  
"Just came to bring you the milk shipment."   
  
Augusta smiled at her and her wrinkles increased tenfold.   
  
"Good grog, I know what you came for, girl. Same thing you come for every week, no different. Just because I'm old and withered, don't you go thinking my brains are. "   
  
The woman's voice took on a whiny tone as she hobbled on her cane to the table to get Malon her change. "No one ever bothers to come visit and chat with Augusta unless they get something out of it, oh no."   
  
"I would if I could,but.."   
  
Madame Augusta said what Malon had been about to say in different words.   
  
"Forgive me. I forget sometimes. You're a servant, aren't you?To that Ingo who owns the ranch?"   
  
The word "owns" struck Malon rather hard(she still liked to think the ranch belonged to her and her father, no matter how long Ingo took control of it temporarily)but she spoke bravely anyway.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Odd freedom they have. Only as much as they are gutsy enough to dare..and then the consequences are usually permanent" Augusta pondered as she continued searching her table for a few extra ruppees to spare for Malon. Augusta didn't exactly make tons of money selling her potions, Malon thought guiltily, remembering several trips to the potion shop were she had come out with more objects than she come in with.   
  
"So what about this theif?" Malon asked abruptly the minute Augusta finished talking. She didn't have anything to say to Madame Augusta's previous statement..and really didn't want to. It hit too close to home. Obtaining a small amount of freedom as a servant by being obstinate.. dropping an egg here, sleeping in late there, lead only to pain and bruises. Malon had learned the hard way afer doing all these things.   
  
Augusta blinked the change in subjects and it took her awhile to speak. In spite of her protesting, she was OLD..in mind and body.   
  
"Didn't I tell you?Oh, maybe not. This thief's been stealing potions here and there-once a week. Goes by a regular schedule this thief does..always once a week" Augusta said.   
  
Malon kept her face carefully blank, a practice she was getting better and better at, in front of Link, Ingo, and just everyone and anyone in general.   
  
"How strange. No doubt he's trying to steal your potions to sell to Hyrule Market. They are the best in all of Hyrule, after all and would make a pretty penny." Malon added a bit of flattery to her words slyly.   
  
"Aye, but I'm the one they should be makin' a pretty penny for, not some common thief" Madame Augusta pointed out.   
  
"I agreed. Good luck catching him then."..and good luck to the thief to not get caught Malon thought at the same time, her thoughts conflicting with her words.   
  
"Thanks,lass. Aha, here it is!" Augusta had found her small wooden box containing a few ruppees. Malon took the change from the old woman's hand but once Malon's own fingers were around the ruppees, Augusta still wouldn't let go.   
  
"Pity young thing like you lookin' so spiritless and worked to death..pity. If I was a wee bit younger, I'd storm that Ingo's gates meself. Bastard if you asks me."   
  
Malon agreed one hundred percent. She smiled privately to herself at the thought of the old lady fighting Ingo with her cooking ladle. Now that would be a sight for sore eyes! Malon gently slipped her fingers out of the woman's grasp and pocketing her money, left through the door. One Malon knew she would be walking through again, albeit more silently in only a matter of hours.   
  
In spite of the incident in the marketplace with Link, Malon still had time for a visit to see the one person besides Link that made her emotions more topsy-turvy than an hour glass. Walking down one set of steps and then up another located in the opposite side of Kakariko village, Malon walked into a modest house and greeted the woman baking a pot of porridge over an open stove.   
  
"Is Talon here?"   
  
The woman laughed. "Of course!Hasn't moved nary a muscle since he came."   
  
"I have too!Move my head every day when I turn it to go to sleep" a voice argued, more drowsily than crossly.   
  
"I swear, you sleep more than you do anything else besides eat." As if she was scolding a small toddler, the woman's voice took on a reprimanding tone. "Why I bet you didn't even notice your own flesh and blood had come to pay you a visit."   
  
Talon, who had been propelling himself up on one elbow and rubbing at his eyes leapt up from his straw matress at these words, showing a rare display of energy. He hadn't seen his daughter since the seperation of them both by Ingo almost a year ago. In fact, Talon had thought his chances of ever seeing her again were beyond slim. Malon had thought similiar but had never given up, asking around for months until finally a few days ago she had learned that Talon had recently come back to Kakariko village.   
  
He had taken refuge wherever there was an empty pallet and extra food to spare. Moving around the land of Hyrule at at times even begging to make some money Talon had figured Malon would never be able to track him. Especially as he was all too sure of the fate that had befallen her. A servant to Ingo.   
  
Malon reached out to clasp his waiting hands and for a long time both just stood in silence like that, studying the changes a year had wrought.   
  
"How are the horses?"   
  
The first words out of Talon's mouth were not what at all what Malon expected. Running through her veins was pure happiness at being able to see her father's face but twisted withint that happiness was a bit of anger as well. What about me?I'm the one that stayed here to become a servant while he ran off and escaped from all responsibility. Shouldn't he be asking how I'm doing? Malon thought all these things but she didn't say a word of them out loud. She didn't want to mar what was already a bitersweet reunion.   
  
Talon's face dampened whatever anger Malon felt. On it was showed everything he didn't voice. Concern and worry for her were written all over it. By not acknowledging what had happened to her and their farm..it was his way of trying to pretend the whole thing never happened, Malon realized.   
  
"The horses are fed well-but half of them are so worn down from Ingo's overtraining. I don't think they'll last much longer." Malon's voice broke. "He abuses them so." She looked down at her unshod feet. Malon didn't have to add the other person he abused, Talon understood perfectly.   
  
He clenched his fists, his jaw working in much the same way.   
  
"That no good snit!He should get the same treatment he gives others and see how he likes it, that's a fact!I'm going to teach him a lesson he'll never forget.."   
  
Malon put a hand in her father's shoulder, feeling far more like a parent protecting a child than the other way around. "No, Don't!If you do try to Ingo will just catch you and make you a servant. I won't let that happen. Please, promise not to."   
  
Her father's clenched jaw loosened as his anger was replaced by shame. His daughter was a servant and there was nothing he could do about it. Talon wasn't a fighter and he knew it.   
Going against Ingo would only benefit Ingo's own plans.   
  
"I promise...." Talond had a sudden cunning and valiant thought, one of the few that had ever coursed through his brain. If he couldn't protect his daughter or save the farm, why not get his daughter to do as much herself? She wasn't weak and had a will of iron tempered with a fighting spirit..or she used to, anyway. Before Ingo presumably tried to knock whatever was left of it out of Malon.   
  
"..If you make a promise to me in return. Will you?" said Talon.   
  
Malon sighed. "Dad, right now,I'm not in much shape to do anything besides what's required." Talon pretended not to hear her.   
  
"Promise to take matters into your own hands and not depend on others like I always do."   
  
"What matters?"   
  
Talon smiled. "Why any ones you have, o'course." He turned serious. "Specifically being under Ingo's lock and key."   
  
"But I can't" Malon started to say. Talon cut her off.   
  
"Yes you can. You have a stronge will and a good mind. You'll find a way to escape. Just don't sit around waiting for some knight in shining armor to save you is all I'm sayin'."   
  
  
  
"I promise" Malon said. And she left without a backward glance at her father.   
  
The guard watched her leave Kakariko village raised his eyebrows. When she had first come thundering past him on her stallion, he hadn't noticed a thing other than her skirts and hair billowing behind her and the fact that she rode bareback...and as she left Kakariko village it was no different. The girl raced off like the devil himself was after her. The guard wasn't far off from the truth. Ingo wasn't a bad substitute for the devil..especially when Malon was late for feeding the horses their evening meal.   
  
It was this thought that caused Malon to dig her heels into her horse's sides even harder. She was full of plans and thoughts. Most of them revolving around her escape, some revolving around how to get back to the potion shop at a suitable time for what she had no choice but to do, and only one teensy little one that she tried to push out of her head revolving around Link.   
  
After Malon left the hut, Talon went straight back to sleep, but this time instead of a frown there was a grin on his face. She still had it in her after all. Walked out of there like she meant business. Pshaw, that Ingo couldn't keep shackles on any daughter of his and get away with it! Malon would find a way to get the farm back even if he didn't.   
  
Talon didn't know just how hard it would be. What Malon had been trying to say earlier before he cut her off was that Ingo for all his threats had finally found the mark that would hit her the hardest. If she ran so much as five feet from the place, he had said, he would lock the older stable, full of the horses and animals she had grown up with, and burn it to the ground. No sweat off Ingo's back. He had enough money to buy a whole new team of horses many times over.   
  
~~~~~~~   
  
Lon Lon ranch was only a mile or so away now. A candle had been lit on one of the upper floors of the modest house and the flame coming from it reflected merrily in the window. The lit window itself was just barely visible over the craggy peaks of the walls surrounding the place.   
  
Seeing it filled Malon with curiousity. That was where she had once slept. She privately wondered how he had changed the place. After Ingo had made her a servant she had never had a chance to find out. Malon slept in the stables now. Not that she minded too much. The heat coming from the horses kept her warm even if the hay was itchy and scratchy and not much for sleeping on. She didn't sleep much anyway and judging from how often the window shone with light well past midnight, neither did Ingo.   
  
The horse stumbled wearily up the dirt road, refusing to go any faster in spite of Malon's consistent urgings. If she didn't get back to Ingo quick she was going to be in for it!   
Ariana stopped all together right by the wooden sign at the crossroads before Lon Lon Ranch. Malon rolled her eyes, more than a little put out. Why did the horse have to choose now of all times to come to a dead stop?   
  
"Oh for Hyne's sake, will you come on?" Malon whispered impatiently into it's ear but the horse neighed at her reproachfully and refused to budge.   
  
"Is that you Malon?"   
  
The sun was paling and darkness was already beginning to fall. Malon had to squint a bit to make out the form of a girl standing with a basket on one of her hips. She recognized her as Devonny, one of the random pickpockets that hung around Hyrule, immediately.   
  
"Who else would it be?"   
  
"Nobody"-Devonny flashed a mischevious smile-"and then again, maybe somebody."   
  
Malon knew exactly who Devonny was referring to in spite of her trying to sound cryptic. Her business, being on the shady side, was often trading of various stolen goods done late at night with the most famous of all thieving clans.   
  
"If you're expecting a gerudo, I won't keep you. I had better hurry and get back to Ingo.."   
  
"Ingo" Devonny spat into the ground to show exactly what she thought of him. "Too bad you don't have a chance of escape.."   
  
"Actually, I do. Though not much of one yet." Malon cast a worried eye at Lon Lon ranch. "Really, I can't explain now. I have to get going."   
  
Devonny stared at her in amazement. "Escape from Ingo?Are you absolutely crazy?If he catches you, you'll wish you had never tried. You should know that from experience. Do you remember what happened the last time you carried on with your escape plan?"   
  
"I know. But this one's different" Malon argued.   
  
"Right then. Let me hear it." Devonny looked at her expectantly. "Aha. I thought so. Don't even have it all thought out, do you?"   
  
"Well..no,not exactly" Malon admitted with reluctance. It was really too bad she hadn't had enough time to brainstorm a full escape plan. Devonny, being a thief and skilled on escaping from all sorts of people at a moment's notice, would have been able to point out if it was feasible or just plain stupid.   
  
Devonny shook her head. " Do you even have any money to take with you if you manage to escape?"   
  
"No." Malon was starting to feel whatever plan she had begun to form in her head wasn't going to work.   
  
"Look. I think I might know a way to get your hands on some."   
  
"I am not stealing!" Malon said, jumping to conclusions.   
  
"No. Not stealing-though I think you would make much more that way. The midsummer festival is tommorrow..stupid excuse for nobles to take another holiday while us peasants toil . Anyway, if you like, I think I can get you a job serving. They're in sore need of more servants and the word is the pay they're willing to give is none too bad."   
  
Devonny was right. She couldn't very well just run off and expect to find shelter somewhere when she hadn't a penny to her name. Not that she was even sure were she would run off to. Leaving Ingo, sure, no problem..but leaving the horses and the farm?That would be much tougher to do. If only there was a way to do one but not the other.   
  
"You really believe you can get me a job on such short notice?"   
  
Devonny shrugged. "Sure. No skin off my nose. If you can convince Ingo to let you serve at the fair on such short notice."   
  
Malon nodded and spurred her horse on towards Lon Lon ranch, ready for the less than cordial welcome that awaited her.   
  
~~~~~~~   
  
Ten hours later, Malon was retracing her steps to Kakariko..only this time traveling by foot. She moved stiffly her whole body protesting in pain. Ingo had not been happy with her prolonged absense and had acted in accordance to his emotions leaving Malon with many a new bruise and welts.   
  
The cloak of the dark starless night was a welcome friend as it made accomplishing her task easier. From her apron, Malon took out a small peice of wire and fiddled with the door to Agatha's potion shop for a minute before scurrying in. She hated to do it, but she had no choice.   
  
After her mission was accomplished she wasted no time hanging around the place. Running out of Kakariko and sneaking past the guard she waited until she was back in Hyrule's fields before taking the small flask out from under her cloak.   
  
The moon reflected off the glass surface as Malon downed the contents in one satisfying swig. But even the moon was not bright enough to show the changes that occured after Malon had consumed the potion. Bruises, welts, and a sprained ankle were gone, leaving unbroken skin in their place.   
  
It was the only way Malon could keep herself healed from the pain Ingo inflicted. And if she had to steal, so be it. Giving a little shudder at the aftertaste, Malon opened the door to the barn and sank wearily into a bale of hay bunched in the corner.   
  
  
  
  
-----   
A/N=Not much to say, I said most everything in my other A/N:)Malon's eyes are indeed blue.*scratches head*..I have no idea why I put they were green..probably becuase I was writing at like, three in the morning. Oh yeah, just to warn everybody, the next chapter will be very short. I already know how I'm going to set up all the chapters and that was just the way it happened to turn out. 


	4. The Dance

@A FairyTale In Reality@  
ch.4-The dance  
by:GoldenSilence  
  
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A/N=Thanks to anyone that has bothered to leave a review. You may not think your comments have any effect, but trust me, they do.:)Oh yeah, this chapter may have spelling errors etc. simply because I am writing this when I am sick with the flu-hopefully it's still good!*honks on a tissue*  
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Usually Hyrule Castle itself would be enough to make Malon gape at its magnificence and grandeur. Today though, it had been painstakingly transformed into a wonderland;a courtyard of eternal spring.   
  
Long chains of exotic flowers and common flowers Malon knew, such as roses and lilies, were hung side by side from trees, the castle walls, anything that was deemed sturdy enough to attach them to. The grass waved invitingly underneath Malon's bare feet as if daring her to dance upon it.  
  
In front of her bewitched eyes, the unforgiving afternoon sun's rays seemed to turn the tree's leaves(the only hint of Fall that could not be hidden)from yellow to a twinkling gold. The sun, bouncing off the leaves, left its glowing mark everywhere-on the already polished coats of armor that were worn by the guards surveying the whole affair with dour expressions, as well as the multitude of jewels worn; for with nobles around, there were an abudance of them in every shape, size, and cut.  
  
Ahead of Malon, the courtiers; who were giving the guard at the ivy trimmed stone gateway a piece of parchment stating their importance and their invitation to the event, took not one glance to seep in the splendor of it all, but simply passed through looking neither left nor right.  
  
The sight of Hyrule Castle and its finery were nothing new to them;this was the way their lives had been laid out since the day they were born-a good deal of them had courtyards back home every bit as beautiful as this one.   
  
Malon, however, could not stop staring at everyone and everything. Sure, she had seen the beauty of Hyrule's countryside or the sunrise at dawn-but this was in another class altogether.  
  
"And you are?" The guard looked at her distainfully and tightened his grip on his sword, figuring she was another urchin-or at worst, a thief- trying to make her way in scot-free.  
  
Malon tore her eyes away from the breathtaking scene ahead of her. "Mal-" she started and then stopped. Only royals mentioned their names. What would  
a Hyrule guard care to know hers?  
  
Feeling incredibly inferior under the guard's gaze, Malon swallowed and began anew. "I'm here to serve, sir."  
  
"You aren't going an inch farther, missy. Turn around and go to the castle kitchens. You'll find a door a few yards to the left. Ask for Jeezebel to get a tray of food. Then I'll see about admitting you through."  
  
When Malon came back twenty minutes later, glasses of wine on on a tray being carried carefully in both hands, and asked to go on through, the guard stayed solidy in front of the entrance-for a moment Malon thought he wasn't going to budge-but then as she hesitantly approached him, he moved off to one side, allowing her room to pass.  
  
Malon squeezed and jostled her way past the nobles standing around waiting for the feast to begin. At one of the many long outdoor dining tables, she began placing goblets beside the silver and plates that were in some places already heaped high with food.  
  
The place reminded her of Hyrule market. Just as crowded and just as noisy. It smelled just as horrible too-or at least from Malon's standpoint. The woman she was currently serving had on a mix of putrid perfumes that smelled just as bad-if not worse-than the daily slop and refuse of Hyrule Market.  
  
The only difference between Hyrule Market and the festival was how out of place Malon felt. She made an effort to hide her dirty feet underneath her skirts as she rushed to get more platters of food, all too aware of the dainty satin slippers and dragonhide boots the dukes, dutchesses, princes, princesses, and the like were flaunting.  
  
In Hyrule Market, people of all stations and classes all sort of blended into one gigantic mixing pot of a crowd. Here, the serving girls stuck out from the nobles like stones from jems. In plain gowns of gray or brown(most badly mended), the servants acted identical to Malon in that they tried to be as inconspicous as possible.  
  
Of the scenery and the nobles, it was Malon's private opinion that the latter looked gaudy compared to the rustic trees and flowers.  
  
She had just finished placing a plate of venison in font of a burly looking man when the strain of a conversation from the trio of giggling ladies sitting on his left caught her attention.  
  
So far, most of the talk at the table that day had been petty, stupid stuff. Lands, money, accounts to settle, daughters to marry off, who was the best looking, and money covered most of the favorite topics.  
  
This conversation was no different..the girls were giggling on and on about an engagement they had heard about. Still, something made Malon think what they had to say might be of interest to her.  
  
Freezing in the middle of putting down the plate of food, Malon listened.  
  
"Oh, just look at her!Showoff. That ring is so large, I'm surprised she doesn't fall right over from the weight of it." The girl speaking sniffed dissaprovingly.  
  
"Looks like Zelda's father can rest easy now,huh?She's finally gotten herself attached," said the girl's friend from across the table, twisting her own rather large engagement ring around on her fleshy finger.  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure. I think it's just her newest piece of jewelery, nothing special. Besides, if she was engaged, wouldn't she have a young man hovering around?"  
  
Malon's knuckles turned white as she unknowingly gripped the tray even harder. Link. Oh no. Not Link.  
  
"Hehe, you must be blind, Marianne!He may not be right at her side, but her young man in question is boring holes right through her with that gaze of his. He's so busy staring at her, he's barely been able transfer his food from his plate to his mouth without missing."  
  
"Oooh, you don't say, Anna. Which one is he?" asked Marianne.  
  
"Only the handsomest man around. You really must be lacking for gossip. Don't you ever hear anything? Rumors are he and Zelda have been head over heels for each other ever since he saved her from Ganon."  
  
"I didn't ask for the guy's list of accomplishments," said Marianne. "WHO is he?Give me a name."  
  
"Hero of time, most elligible bachelor around.." began the third one dreamily.  
  
"Honestly, Jeanne" cut in Anna, rolling her eyes. She turned to Marianne. "His name's Link. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll have a chance to introduce yourself to.."  
  
Malon wasn't the only one who had been eavesdropping. The king himself had overheard the three girls too. Surprisingly, it was a piece of gossip new to him. His daughter engaged without informing him first?And to Link?  
  
The King raised his eyebrows, hiding whatever displeasure he felt. Malon was not nearly as composed. She felt the voices around her becoming faint and heard the clatter of a tray dropping as if from far away. All she could think was that Link and Zelda were engaged.  
  
"What in the blazes is wrong with you, girl?" boomed a voice angrily. "You've gone and got food all over my best tunic, addlepate!"  
  
Malon's attention was brought back from the three girls to the situation at hand. It didn't matter. She had heard all she needed to.   
  
"My apologies." With trembling hands, Malon took a napkin and began wiping at the stain on the man's tunic.  
  
"Get your grimy hands off me!" The man snatched the napkin back from Malon's fingers.  
  
The people munching . The chatter. The sound of birds. Everything was beginning to sound the same in Malon's head. She needed to find somewhere with peace and quiet.  
  
"Excuse me-I have to-just excuse me."  
  
With no further words, Malon scurried off, forgetting to pick up the tray and leaving the man grumbling to anyone who would listen about the high quality of HIS own servants back at his castle.  
  
Putting one hand on a tree to steady herself, Malon breathed slowly in and out. So Link and Zelda were engaged. She had suspected as much, but the confirmation of her suspicions hit hard.  
  
The sweet sound of a fiddle suddenly burst forth followed by the beat of drums and a cheery flute, all making themselves known over the lull of voices. The dancing had begun. Malon was exceptionally glad she now had no more serving to do.  
  
Sliding down until she was sitting beneath the tree(and out of most of the noble's line of sight) Malon watched as couples began spinning gaily around to the invigorating tempo. Peasants weren't allowed to dance, but that didn't bother Malon all that terribly-she was a much better singer then dancer anyway, and besides..who would ask her?  
  
At least, the dancing didn't bother Malon much until she saw two blonde headed people dancing on the outskirts of the crowd of dancers. Completely wrapped up in each other, they passed right by Malon. She scooted herself even further under the tree, praying they wouldn't notice her-but just like at Hyrule Market, a pair of light blue eyes searched and found her own.  
  
Link's arms loosened from around Zelda's waist as he stared at the young lady underneath the tree, trying to avoid his gaze. Malon?What was she doing here?  
  
He wanted to go speak to her, but Zelda would not take her arms from around his neck and Link had to make do with a last quick glance in her direction instead before he and Zelda whirled past.  
  
The dark blue orbs that Link had so desperately been trying to meet with his own only now turned to follow both him and Zelda as they spun around in time to the drone of the music.  
  
Both Link and Zelda's outfits simply screamed of opulence. Hers was a silk dress of pale periwinkle blue that swished around her figure becomingly as she moved. Malon's hands picked at a lose thread absentmindedly on her own worn out garb.   
  
Link wore a white tunic of velvet-simply magnificent with his pale blonde hair and blue eyes. Even though the outfit was of a thick cloth, the muscles in his back, arms, and shoulders were clearly defined.  
  
This might as well be his wedding day with the way he's dressed, thought Malon unhappily. I wonder what happened to his green tunic?Zelda probably burned it.  
  
The prince and the princess. They fit into each other's arms like forgotten peices of a puzzle.  
  
Unable to watch any longer and knowing Link had seen her and would most likely try to find her as the dance was ending, Malon made her way sneaking around people to try and get to the exit-away from the dance and away from Link.  
  
She did not care that she was running from him again, only that Link talking to her would be thrice as painful as the sight of him and Zelda together.  
  
  
  
*********************************  
  
  
As the dance ended, Link spied a figure fleeing the crowd. The musicians paused for a minute to set up for the next tune. Zelda dipped into a curtsy, signaling she was planning on dancing the next song with Link as well, but Link didn't stay around to bow back.   
  
He was off to look for Malon. There was no way she was going to escape him like she had done the other day. He would find out why she was avoiding him if it was the last thing he did.  
  
Zelda stood watching him, her lips pursed angrily. She wasn't the only one-several eyes belonging to the couples dancing where trying to follow Link.  
  
"May I have this dance, milady?"  
  
Zelda turned to stare at a dashing young man with cropped black hair and equally black eyes. He flashed her a flirting smile. "Or perhaps I should come back later?I'm sure there are many young men vying for your attention."  
  
Zelda returned his smile with a more coy one of her own. "Well, Link did ask me specifically to save this dance for him.."   
  
But he's not here now to stop me, she thought.  
  
"..And every other dance," replied the handsome young man. "I've been trying to get a dance with you since the first waltz."  
  
"I don't dance with strangers." It was a lie. Zelda danced with strangers all the time..but oh, she had to know his name! She may have been dating Link, but it wasn't as if she was engaged to him-even if all those dumb rumors said otherwise. Well, she didn't give a fig what those busybodies thought. A little flirting here and there couldn't hurt.  
  
"I'm King Jonathan The Third of Termina-but just between us, that sounds awefully stuffy, doesn't it?You can call me John."  
  
"Then what are you what are you waiting for?," asked Zelda. "I have no dance partner now, as you can see."  
  
The man smiled again. He had the nicest dimples, Zelda realized distractedly.  
  
"Indeed?We cannot have that. It would not be right for such a thing of beauty to have to sit out a dance for lack of a partner, would it?I suppose I shall just have to remedy the situation."  
  
"Yes, you most certainly shall." Zelda curtsied to him and he bowed back, taking a detour during his leaning over to kiss Zelda's hand.  
  
As they began dancing, Zelda's angry thoughts about Link just leaving her on the middle of the dance floor with no explanation whatsoever vanished. John, was it?Cute, rich, and a king to boot!  
  
This would be...most interesting.  
  
  
***************************************  
  
  
Malon was just ducking under a garland of hanging vines and sunflowers when she felt a warm hand grasp her own. She turned around to face Link.  
  
Immediately, Malon began tugging at his hand to try and get away, but it was no use-in spite of being built strong from all her hard toil, Malon was still no match for the half a foot taller Link.  
  
"No. You are staying put. Malon, I haven't talked to you in forever! You aren't helping matters any by running off every time I see you."  
  
"I don't know what you mean," Malon mumbled, wishing she could just duck underneath Link's arm and run for it.  
  
Link snorted. "Oh, of course not. Since you appear to have a very selective memory, let me remind you of what happened just yesterday. The moment I noticed you in Hyrule Market, you ran out of there as if a pack of thieves were after you."  
  
"You must have mistaken me for somebody else. I wasn't at Hyrule Market."  
Malon knew Link wouldn't believe her, but it was worth a try. Anything right now was worth a try to get away from him. If he had come to tell her of his and Zelda's engagement, she didn't want to her about it-any of it.  
  
"Yes you were," Link said stubbornly. "You forget you're the only one in Hyrule for miles around with red hair. Except for the Gerudos-and trust me, it wasn't one of them. If it was, they wouldn't have been running. They would have simply stayed put and hit me over the head with a brick or something, then stolen every ruppee I had on me."  
  
Malon flushed. "Alright, it was me. Pardon milord, but I had chores waiting and I did not want to get in Ingo's bad graces."  
  
Link sighed. "Will you cut out the 'milord' stuff? I'm just plain old Link. Even 'fairy boy' sounds better coming from your lips than 'milord' does."  
  
Did he just mention her lips?  
  
A fast string of notes, one right after another could be heard coming from the courtyard. Zelda was probably waiting for Link there. Malon jerked on her hand even harder to try and get it out of Link's grasp. If he and Zelda were engaged, she would not complicate things any further.  
  
Link held on firmly. "Surely you're not leaving without even dancing once?"  
  
Malon shook her head. "You know peasants aren't allowed to dance," she stated plainly.  
  
"Correction; peasants aren't allowed to dance in the courtyard. We are now, I believe, outside the castle grounds." Link gave her a huge grin.  
"So will you?"  
  
Malon's eyes widened. "Will I what?"  
  
"Dance with me."  
  
"Ye-" Malon changed her mind. "It's not proper," she whispered, trying to convince not only Link, but herself.  
  
"Frankly, I don't want to be proper." Link's voice was dropping down to a dangerously seductive tone.   
  
Then, without warning, he let go of Malon's hand so he could fling off his boots. Malon didn't take the chance to run. With him there, she found it impossible to move an inch-something was commanding her to stay.  
  
She watched Link's boots go sailing through the air and fall into the nearby bushes. "What in Nabooru's name?"  
  
Link gestured at Malon's own unshod feet. "A lord would hardly prance around barefoot, so now we're equal. Just a girl and a boy dancing."  
  
Malon felt a delighted smile light up her face. It turned to a look of uncertainty as Link reached out and caught both of her hands in his, pulling her roughly into his arms.  
  
Why oh why did the song have to be a song that permitted this kind of closeness?  
  
Malon backed out of his arms slightly so that their heads were not nearly touching as they had been before, but she still continued to dance with Link. She couldn't flee from him-he had her spellbound.  
  
The music played on, but Malon heard none of it. All she was aware of was that she was dancing with HIM.  
  
Link looked at Malon worriedly. She was as stiff as log in his arms. Why?  
  
He abruptly ceased dancing altogether. "Malon?Do you want to stop dancing?"  
  
This was her chance to say yes. To say yes and run. But still she couldn't.  
  
"No, not at all," she said and tenatively put her small palm in his. She was rewarded with the twinkle that came to Link's eye.  
  
He pulled her close and they began dancing again. Far too close, thought Malon. So close, she could not avoid his gaze. Blue and blue entertwined-Malon felt flighty. His eyes... and his face-inches away, she could almost touch it. She wanted to. But her hands were wrapped around his back and that in itself sent waves of shock through her.  
  
She could feel his breath on her hair, blowing through it like the wind. Her fiery red locks flew out behind her as they both twirled in circles. She was dizzy-but not dizzy from the dancing, and she knew it.  
  
She was smiling so hard it hurt and so was he.   
  
Link made the space between them even less. Reaching with one hand, he touched her face. Malon stopped dancing, feeling as if she was frozen on that very spot. She could not move for fear of disturbing whatever it was that was happening.   
  
He gently picked the stray piece of hair that had flown across her face and tucked it behind her one ear. Malon found she could move her limbs once again. Honestly, what did you think he was going to do?, she chided herself. He's an eng-  
  
Malon's mind blanked out completely as Link's face began moving slowly downward. She used to think that "tugging at the heart strings" was just a term, but now she knew it was not. Invisible strings were drawing her to him..closer and closer.  
  
Malon unknowingly tilted her lips to meet his own. Then and only then did she realize what she was doing.  
  
She had no idea how to stop the kiss, for she didn't trust herself to speak(and couldn't, with Link's mouth over hers)-instead she did the handy alternative, and stamped hard on his foot.  
  
Link broke the kiss off and hoped on his one foot. "Yeowwch!What did you do that for?"  
  
Too bad I didn't have shoes on. It would have been more effective that way, thought Malon.  
  
"Anwser me one thing. You're in love with Zelda, aren't you?"  
  
Link's sad expression told her all. "Oh Malon, I'm so sorry.."  
  
Malon glared at him. She was too angry to feel sad. That would come later.  
  
"You are in love with Zelda and I'm..you are sick. Don't ever try to toy with my emotions again. EVER."  
  
She turned around and Link knew she was going to leave. Leave when he wanted only to explain and apologize-two things he wasn't even sure how to do. Because he wasn't sure where he had gone wrong. He had just went with his feelings..but then hadn't he always done the same when he kissed Zelda?  
  
"Wait Malon!I can explain!I'll drop by the ranch and explain everything, okay?"  
  
"No more dropping by." Malon's voice sounded dead in her own ears.  
  
She raced off so fast through the garland that it fell down completely, a few of the flowers fell on her head and shoulders while the rest scattered to the ground.  
  
Link's last question rang out behind her. "Are we still friends?"  
  
"No. We can't be. How can you ask that?" Malon's voice broke and she was glad she was away from Link. She would not let him have the satisfaction of knowing he made her cry. Dirt, grass, rocks passed underneath her feet, but Malon felt none of it as she ran blindly back to Ingo's Ranch.  
  
How could Link?She had encouraged him perhaps-but not enough to warrant that sort of...  
  
He probably didn't even realize what he had done. The old "fairyboy" she had known would have. That was all wealth did to people. Corrupt them until they became arrogant, self-centered bastards, thinking they could have whatever they wanted. It certainly happened with Ingo-and now it was happening to Link.  
  
Link watched Malon dissapear. Running. She's always running from me. Then it hit Link why. Malon loved him. He had seen it in her face after the kiss, when they were dancing...  
  
By realizing that Malon loved him, Link then realized he loved her. Deeply. He would never kiss someone he didn't love. But he loved Zelda too. Didn't he?  
  
"Why are you sitting there staring after Malon?You love Zelda. Right?" said a high pitched voice at Link's shoulder.   
  
Navi fluttered about before settling beside Link in the grass. "Of course I do."  
  
Link felt as if he was repeating something by rote .  
  
"Harrumph. You can't fool me, but you had better hope you can fool her. Zelda's waiting for a dance."  
  
"Navi, I thought you were alright with the idea of me and Zelda being in love."  
  
Navi harumphed again. "For once, I agree with Malon. You are an unfeeling idiot."  
  
"WHAT? I just kissed her. It was an accident!"  
  
"It was no such thing," Navi said. "If I was bigger, I'd slap you so hard your face would be pink for a week. Too bad Malon didn't. Oh well, at least she gave you a good kick."  
  
Link glared accusingly at the little fairy. "You were watching!"  
  
Navi tossed her hair. "Naturally."  
  
  
*********************************  
  
  
As Link danced with Zelda, he found himself comparing her and Malon. He had felt so alive and whole dancing with Malon. And the way she had smiled-as if she hadn't smiled in ages...  
  
Link put his mind back on Zelda as words flew out of his mouth, sounding clipped and rehearsed. Everything with Malon was spontanous.The most spontanous thing Zelda had probably ever done was tell Link she loved him..in the same tone she told him to wipe his boots on the mat outside the door.  
  
Link twirled Zelda around once more and from all around them, spectators twittered over what a handsome and perfect pair they made. If only they could have heard Link's thoughts..  
  
Zelda was beautiful. But Malon was Malon. And there was no escaping it.When Link pulled her to him, it was not her embrace he yearned for-but Malon's.  
  
"Zelda. I need to ask you something-and you may not like it."  
  
Zelda gave him an annoyed glance. "Whatever it is, can't this wait until later?"  
  
"Alright," Link said.   
  
Later would be a long time in coming.  
  
  
  
-----  
  
A/N#2=Is there such a thing as white velvet?I hope so!It just sounded so good to my imagination. I can just see Link wearing that sort of thing..besides, it was either that or put him in black leather...mmmmmm..*ahem*..review please?:) Oh yeah, and people who are freaking out about Link and Zelda..this is a Link/Malon fic..you think there's any way I'm going to let the two of them stay together?Definitely not! 


	5. Malon And Link Reunited

@A Fairytale In Reality@  
ch.5-Link and Malon reunited  
by:GoldenSilence  
  
disclaimer:Zelda property of Nintento and that guy who's name I cannot spell ( emberassing as it is to admit.:))   
  
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A/N=Wow!I didn't expect so many reviews for chapter 4.Thanks to...  
- L and Mforever(great name;))  
-sparky-you use mousepads as coasters too? What about books?They work even better, I swear!  
- the ever elusive ????-you use my fanfic as a bookmark?Really..*blushes*..that's so cool!Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter up, I know you're impatient.^ _ ^  
-As well as every other reviewer who's names I can't remember(sorry, I have a memory span of about oh, two seconds.) You guys motivated me to get off my lazy butt and update this, so I hope you enjoy!! Just as a reminder, there are around two more chapters to this-and I might do a sequel, if anybody wants one.:)Does anyone?If you do, review and say so please.  
Oh yes, for anyone that forgot(like I actually did) Ariana is Malon's new horse, kay??'Kay.  
  
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Link came out of Hyrule Castle, a funny sort of uncertain smile on his face that caused several Hyrulian guards to give him sharp looks. It was when he actually began-oh horror of horrors!- whistling that the guards really started paying attention. The hero of time did NOT smile. He most certainly did not whistle.   
  
At least, he'd never whistled or smiled in all the time since he had been made prince. And if being nobility and having tons of honors heaped on you wasn't enough reason to show a bit of joy-what was?  
  
The guards, watching Link, immediately jumped to the conclusion that his smiling and whistling was the good omen they had been waiting for. In fact, a few select soldiers even made a point to congratulate Link on his fortunate luck with the princess as he passed.   
  
Those that did were greeted with a joyful "You bet it's luck! The very best sort of it too. Nayru bless Zelda for all eternity! I'm free!"  
  
One of the two guards that had congradulated Link raised his eyebrows. Surely that wasn't the typical response one made when one became engaged?  
  
The other guard knew it was not, being a married man himself. Goodness, one became tied down when one became married..not free! The hero of time must have been seriously delusional. The guard decided to correct this ( he thought) sadly misinformed young man.  
  
"With such luck comes responsibilities, if you'll pardon my saying so, milord."  
  
Link just grinned even wider. "Responsibilities? Hah! The only responsibility I have it to make sure she never doubts my affection from now on!"  
  
Both guards' eyebrows raised even higher as they watched Link walk languidly off across the piles of fallen leaves and past the scattering of wreaths and chains of flowers that still remained from the festival two nights before. The guards scanned the horizon and gently sloping hills for any young man trying to sneak past for a glimpse of the beautiful princess Zelda, their faces turned back to being as unreadable and blank as an unchiseled stone.  
  
Whatever each guard personally thought of Link's behavior, they all agreed on one thing..the hero of time was acting most strangely that day-not to mention in a manner totally unbefitting nobility.  
  
  
***************  
  
  
Nobility and being proper was the furthest thing from Link's mind as he stroe out of Hyrule Castle's grounds and on into Hyrule Market. The crowd was a boisterous as ever, but the jumble of voices only came across Link's ears as a muted sound. Earlier that day, Zelda had said to him the words he had been meaning to say to her first. Ironic and a smidgen deflating to one's ego, but Link didn't mind at all. The reward, so to speak, was going to be worth the loss. If he could manage to gain it at all.   
  
Now out of Hyrule Market and on the path towards LonLon ranch, Link felt his hands go clammy as he became more nervous with each step he took. How on earth was he going to tell Malon? They hadn't exactly parted on the most amicable of terms.  
  
As he walked down the well worn road, Link squashed several variations of bugs beneath his boots and nearly stepped on a jackrabbit before it shied away, but he paid no heed to any of the small creatures in danger of being trampled. Just as he paid no heed to the perfect weather. There were far more important things to think of.  
  
It truly was the best of weather. The sky was a cloudless cyrulean blue, and within it the sun was shining, neither too strong nor too weak a force. Malon scowled at it as she rode along on Ariana. If the sky had reflected her feelings, it would have been a dark blue with storm strewn clouds, lit up only by flashes of lightning.  
  
Instead, the weather radiated tranquility. It was the sort of lazy day that would find you laying down in a field of dandelions for hours with your back against a log and never noticing a moment had passed. Malon, as industerious as she had to be working for Ingo, still felt the lazy effects of the weather. Getting off the back of her horse, she led Ariana by the bridle, glad for a chance to stretch her legs.   
  
In spite of this, her bad mood still refused to be lessened. To float on a cloud the minute his lips touched hers, only to have said cloud promptly snatched away from under her was just too cruel. For once it would have been nice to have someone that cared, anyone that cared. Link had never come after her after that kiss. Not that she had expected him to or anything, but... Stop thinking about him, Malon told herself fiercly. He's most definitely not thinking about you, so stop thinking about him.  
  
Malon reached out with one hand to catch a few falling leaves and crumble them into small pieces with prying fingers. She had made up her mind to change her fate the day she had talked to her father-and change her fate she would. That very night. Little did she know that her carefully thought out plan would go awry, for the real change in her fate-and her mood- would take place not long after then.  
  
  
*******************  
  
Only one last day of this routine, Malon reminded herself, feeling a bit cheered by the thought as she checked that the containers of Lon Lon milk were still firmly placed in the horse's saddlebags and swung herself back up unto Ariana's back. The horse's ears raised up, alert as Malon whispered a command softly into them. In three trots, the command was anwsered by the beginnings of a gallop.  
  
Malon was enjoying the sharpness of the wind as it slapped about her face and her clothes, tugging at her long braid and causing tendrils of it to come undone and wave merrily in the air. The feel of great freedom as the horse rode over hills both steep and gradual, the sound of bushes and rocks as they were stomped over by heavy hooves; the whole experience of riding a horse was cut short. Malon found her face buried into the rank sweaty hairs of Ariana's mane as the horse suddenly came to a halt.  
  
Slightly dizzy from going from the fierce motion of a gallop to an absolute standstill, Malon dismounted and looked down the path for what could have disturbed Ariana. Other than the spirals of dust rising from her abrupt stop, there was no trace of a poe or any other thing that could have caused Ariana to spook.  
  
Seeing this, Malon began checking her horse's hooves. Lifting the right hoof, she felt around until her small fingers found exactly what they had been looking for. She gripped the small rock stuck inside and pulled. Malon took the pebble and threw it as hard as she could. "There. All better."  
  
Ariana only stamped and shook her mane in aggravation, telling Malon that something was still bothering her. "What is it?" asked Malon, puzzled. She tried to pick up the hoof that had had the pebble in it, only to barely avoid getting kicked in the face.  
  
"Now, now, that's no reason to..." she began before realizing what was wrong. "Ooh. Oh no. Anything but this."  
  
Malon was leaning over searching through the grass for Ariana's missing horseshoe so all she could see of the man that had walked up behind her was his feet, but that was all she needed to see. She would know that walk and stance of his anywhere. It was indescribable, yet it was own. How many times had she seen him walk just so as he entered the ranch to buy Lon Lon milk?  
  
The horse was usually well behaved, but now, after trying to gallop minus one horseshoe, Ariana had turned irate. In response to the presence of another human, it reared its front legs into the air. Malon went flying forward unto her stomach to avoid Ariana's flailing legs. She took awhile before she looked up, wishing she could avoid the man's face as well.   
  
Sure enough, the face that greeted Malon as the person held out his hand to help her stand upright was none other than Link's..as handsome as ever. Malon picked herself up and shook out her skirts, purposely ignoring the hand put out for assistance. If she had done so, it would have no doubt led to disaster. Such contact had happened at the dance and look where it had gotten them..  
  
"Malon. What a coincidence. I was just going to the ranch to see you."  
  
Malon stared at Link. If she rememembered correctly (and she was sure she did because her memory of that particular night was VERY clear) she had yelled at him to never visit her again..so why on earth would Link actually bother to seek her out?  
  
"Sorry about sneaking up behind you like that. Are you alright?," Link asked.  
  
Malon didn't answer his question directly. She knew Link was only asking because he had seen her fall forward, but the other implication that he cared about how she was coping after the kiss made Malon's heart quicken a beat or two.  
  
"You spooked my horse." And me, added Malon silently in her head. She wished it was dark so that Link couldn't see the expression on her face.  
  
Link's mouth turned slightly upwards. "So I see." He frowned as he looked at Ariana. "What's wrong with your horse? She's limping."  
  
"Lost a horseshoe," Malon admitted. "Lucky she's not crippled from all the galloping I made her do before I noticed."  
  
"There's a blacksmith in Hyrule Market that'll be able to fix that. I'll walk with you there."  
  
It wasn't a question, but Malon protested anyway. Of all people, HE would have to show up to help her. Ugh.  
  
"No, it's fine. I was born in Hyrule, so I can hardly get lost trying to find the way to the market on my own."  
  
"TOf course. But there's always gerudos in the market. They might try to steal something from you."  
  
"I haven't got a thing to steal. Besides, I hardly think..."  
  
"I insist," Link said. He grabbed the reins of Ariana before Malon could protest any further and began gently leading the horse back unto the dirt path. Malon had no choice but to follow.  
  
  
************************  
  
The local blacksmith of Hyrule, Miguel, had been pulled aside and told by Malon in an urgent whisper to make a horseshoe and shod Ariana with it as quickly as he could manage because she didn't want to talk to Link any longer than need be. So naturally, Miguel was taking as much time as he could. Malon came in every now and then for something or other and the blacksmith had taken quite a liking to her. She deserved to be happy. If she and her young man were having an arguement, Miguel was sure it was nothing that a sound talking ( or yelling, perchance) wouldn't solve. Not that talking was something either one was doing tons of at the moment.  
  
Malon tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the blacksmith stick the horseshoe under the bellows once again. Link was right at her side. Malon had thought he would leave her after they found the blacksmith, but since he apparently enjoyed her akwardness and discomfort, Link was sticking around.  
  
"Don't you have more important things to do with your time?" Malon asked, trying to get her point across. She knew she sounded rude but either Link cared about her or he didn't-all this wavering inbetweeen was grating on her nerves.  
  
Link leaned against one of the walls, looking perfectly comfortable and showing no signs of leaving. "Well, now that you mention it, I do have a dragon fight at noon and a battle against a Wolfos at three, but I think I can find a way to fit you into my busy schedule," he said sarcastically.  
  
He changed his tone suddenly. "Talk to me, Malon. I've heard the rumors and well...I'm worried. Ingo hasn't..he hasn't.." Link's face went beet red. "Errmm..you know, has he?"  
  
He hadn't, of course, but Malon didn't say as much. "I don't see why I should bother to tell you when I'm the only one who can fix the way things are."  
  
She definitely sounded rude now and completely unlike herself, but Malon didn't care. Anything to get him away.  
  
"No, you're not! I know I need to explain some of my actions towards you and I will, if you'll just let me instead of making pointed attempts to herd me out the door."  
  
Malon and Link had both by this point all but forgotten about the blacksmith, who had put the tongs and the red hot horseshoe down and was watching them with interest.  
  
"There's nothing to explain. I hardly expected an invatation to you and Zelda's wedding." Malon dared to stare straight into Link's blue eyes for a brief interval.  
  
"That's just what I've got to explain!" Link suddenly noticed there were others in the room besides him and Malon. "Alright. That's it." He began pulling Malon towards the door.  
  
"Just where do you think you're taking me?" she demanded angrily.   
  
"Outside" was Link's reply as he kicked open the door. It shut behind Malon and Link with finality. Malon sighed. No friend to save her from talking to Link now.  
  
Link spoke urgently. "Look, I know kissing you back at the festival was a mistake, but.."  
  
Easiest way for him to explain it, thought Malon. "A mistake? Perhaps for you. That's not what I would call it at all. But if that's what you think it is..."  
  
Link cut Malon off. "Just forget Zelda, forget the kiss, forget everything you are ignoring me for. Malon, none of it matters. What matters is that I..."  
  
Link felt stupid. How could he have thought Malon would listen to him? He certainly wouldn't have if he were in her shoes and thought someone engaged was just toying with him.  
  
"Forget the kiss? It meant so little that you can forget it? Well then, you can forget you ever meet me as well. After all, it'll make things much less complicated-and that's what you want, isn't it?"  
  
Link's heart sunk. Did Malon really think that?  
  
It was at that inoppurtune moment that Miguel the blacksmith chose to open the door and call to Malon and Link, who were standing on the side of the street.  
  
"Well, the horseshoe is done and Ariana is as good as new. By the way, if you don't mind me saying so, you and your young man remind me of your parents when you were young, Malon."  
  
Link's gave a wry look towards Malon. "They must have been at each other's throats alot then."  
  
The blacksmith chuckled. "You don't know the half of it. They couldn't have loved each other more, though-always worked out their little spats in the end. Some swear they argued just for the sake of argueing."   
  
He gave a wink in Malon's direction and went back into his shop, shutting the door. Link watched him leave with a raised eyebrow. "If I didn't know better, I'd think Miguel was making us wedding bands in there instead of a horseshoe. He seems dead set on us as a couple."  
  
"He doesn't know what he's talking about. You're engaged and the way things are going, I'm going to end up being a nice old spinster carting wool."  
  
Malon made to run away but Link cupped her face in his hands, a gesture that sent a pleasant shock from Malon's head all the way down to the tips of her toes.  
  
"Din's fire, this is difficult. I'm going to talk and tell you what you seem to want to prevent me from telling you. Please listen..you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, just listen."  
  
Malon nodded. She didn't think she could say anything with his hands holding up her face anyway. Luckily, Link dropped his hands back to his sides before he spoke. It wasn't the right time or the right way he had envisioned telling her, but it couldn't be helped. He wouldn't let her think he was engaged to another. Especially not Zelda of all people!  
  
"I love you."  
  
"But you love her more." Malon's voice came out chocked as she quickly opened the door and dissapeared inside the blacksmith's shop. Link simply stood where he was until Malon came back out and began walking away from Hyrule Market, her figure becoming a tiny dot in the distance. No last words were exchanged between the two of them.  
  
Link went back to see the blacksmith now that the coast was clear. He and Miguel were good friends. Had been for quite some time. Miguel had helped forge Link a set of new armor, one thing had led to another, and the next thing you knew, the two of them had been trading outrageously exaggerated versions of the battles and fights they'd been in.  
  
"She doesn't love me," Link said bladly to Miguel by way of an entrance.  
  
Miguel laughed. "I doubt she ever said that. Malon may be mad at you now, but I guarentee the sweet lass isn't as mad as all that. In fact, I would say from the way she stormed in here a few minutes ago that she loves you a good deal."  
  
"Any more and she would have kicked me in the kneecaps again. Everytime we meet it ends with her running away."  
  
"Yes, you're right..I can see how that could be a problem at the wedding," pointed out Miguel in mock seriousness.  
  
Link sighed. "There's not going to be any wedding."  
  
Miguel grinned mischeviously. "Oh, there will be, you can rest assured of that."  
  
He waved something in front of Link's face that Link realized was Malon's shawl. "I think Malon'll be wanting this back."  
  
Link took the shawl in one hand and gave Miguel a questioning look. Miguel placed something else in Link's other hand. "Oh yeah and take these. May I suggest you put them to good use as soon as possible?"  
  
Link glanced down at his palm in wonderment. There, resting on the bundle that was Malon's shawl were two identical silver rings, engraved with a vine running through them.   
  
"You don't mea-?"  
  
"I do," said Miguel firmly. He shooed Link out with a gesture of his hands. "So what are you waiting for? Go catch her, idiot."  
  
Link needed no further urging. Once outside, he put his ocarina to his lips, played Epona's song, and was off across town upon Epona's back to find Malon. He would tell her he loved her and not Zelda as many times as it took for Malon to get the message through her head. Unless she outright stated that she did not return his regards, Link wouldn't give up. Malon had been through enough misery-she deserved happiness. All the happiness in the world, if Link had anything to say about it.   
  
Rescueing her from Ingo wouldn't a bad way to prove his love to start with. Link felt the rings now tucked safely into his tunic and gave a determined smile.  
  
  
***************  
  
A/N#2=Sorry if this chapter is a bit on the short side! 


	6. A Flight Of Fancy

@A Fairytale In Reality@  
ch.5-Flight of Fancy  
by:GoldenSilence  
dislaimer: Nintendo owns copyrights to Zelda. Obviously.  
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A/N=Wow..WOW..*picks jaw up off floor*..just wanted to say thanks to everyone that has reviewed (yes, AGAIN:)). Alot of you have been coming back, reviewing every chapter, some even more than once. ??? (I'll do a great job on the sequel? I think my ego is about to explode from all your confidence in me, hehe. I appreciate it!) , sailorzelda(you think the last chapters were sweet? You had better get out your kleenex for this one:)), L and M forever(Your own Malon/Link story is duper good), meeee(You think a sequel is a good idea too? I'll see what I can do about that.;)), Star Princess Sakura(don't worry, Malon gets a happy ending.) , ya?, Super Saiyan for Trunks (dragonballz fan, I'm guessing!I sent you an email to tell you how to upload that story of yours-which I anticipate reading!), Juan (I've only been writing for a month and a half so far-but I really have tried to put everything into this series. So glad you are enjoying it.) , cythen(here's to hoping you touch your nose all the way to your monitor at the end of this chapter!), sparky16 (Look, I'm writing!) and last but not least, jiyu strife (sorry this chapter took so long to get out. Link saving Malon ahead! Or is it Malon saving Malon and then Link oh so conviently showing up?)  
warning:SAP. SAPPPPP. SAAAAAAP. By the truckload. Consider yourselves warned!  
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The form standing by the road outside Ingo's Ranch was covered in the dark of the night-unclear and shadowy, the outline of it was but a blur. Still, Malon knew the form was a human's, and she knew exactly whose human's it was.  
  
She jumped off the back of her horse, not shocked or surprised as she had been the last she had seen this person. This time, Malon was expecting them and felt excited and more than a bit anxious. In fact, she hadn't felt such a combination of those two particular feelings since her dance with Link-and what had followed afterwards.  
  
"You ready to do this?" questioned the voice.  
  
"You bet." Malon's voice came out confident. "You won't get caught?" she asked.  
  
The voice snickered. "Are you kiddin'? That old foggy is more likely to run into a tree just tryin' to follow me. I never get caught. It's in my job description."  
  
As it neared Malon and her horse, Ariana, the figure became more and more clear until Malon could discern the white clothing of the gerudos hidden beneath an omnious looking cape that matched the color of the night sky's.  
  
The gerudo stepped up into the stirrups and mounted Malon's horse without so much as asking. She didn't need to. The whole thing had been planned ahead of time. She stared down at Malon's head from her own lofty vantage point high up on the horse's back.  
  
"You won't get caught either?"  
  
What's to say I won't? I could, Malon realized, her stomach twisting into acid knots. I can't guarantee I won't. Everything is at risk.   
  
But it felt good for Malon's world to be at risk, threatening to turn upside down. Lately, the only thing she had taken a risk at in her life was her relationship with Link..though you could hardly call it that.   
  
And wasn't that what life at its fullest was supposed to be about? One risk after another?  
  
"I won't," Malon answered her gerudo friend.   
  
"Good luck." Malon said this half to herself, half to the thief.  
  
The gerudo clicked the reins and rode off with Ariana at a trot. "Yeah, yeah." Her voice echoed from over the hills back towards Malon. "Us gerudos don't need luck. We were born with it."  
  
"I'm beginning to wish I was one," Malon said softly to herself as she took a deep breath and walked into what had once been Lon Lon ranch but was now Ingo's. Not for much longer if I have anything to say about it, thought Malon.  
  
Upon seeing Malon walk through the iron gates of his ranch, Ingo's sharp eyes, so adept for noticing a spot left unclean on the stable walls or a lazy servant, didn't miss so much as a beat in spite of the darkness of early nightfall.  
  
"You!" he called out roughly to her. "Where's your horse?"  
  
Malon tried to arrange her voice into a tone that sounded traumatized and scared. She widenened her eyes innocently.   
  
"Forgive me, sir..but..I..I..but..someone stole it."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Just now. Outside the ranch. I couldn't see clearly on account of the night, but I thought it was a gerudo." Malon was surprised at how easy it was to lie to Ingo. It should be easy, she reminded herself. I've been doing it for years.  
  
"Of course it was one of them thieves."   
  
Ingo rushed past her, wrapping a cloak around himself as he ran. "Bloody gerudo," he swore as he hurried off through the still opened iron gates of the ranch. It was just as Malon had hoped. Ingo, in his greed, could not stand for so much as one of his horses to be stolen-they were too valuable. No, instead, he would run after the culprit to try and reattain his stolen possession.  
  
Malon had no time to congradulate herself on the fact that everything was going according to plan. There was still much left to do. Her escape from Ingo was far from over. Malon made straight for the stables.  
  
Opening the padlock around the double barn doors, she went in and next began opening the padlocks to each and every stable, opening the gates, and leading the horses out methodically one by one.  
  
She watched as the horses, once all out of the stables, stampeded towards the swung open iron gates of the ranch and through them to the land of Hyrule outside.  
  
Malon followed them out the gate, watching the horses all gallop off as a pack in one direction, glad for a chance to run that didn't feature Ingo slapping a whip at their backs. Malon was losing something important to her. But yet she was gaining something important as well. Her freedom.  
  
Besides, Malon reassured herself, the horses could roam wild now, wherever they wanted. They would never be mistreated by Ingo again-and neither would she, for that matter.  
  
But even if she didn't know it yet, Malon really wasn't losing anything at all. Not even her beloved horses. Perhaps fate had decided she had had enough suffering and loss in her life-and now it was time where she could only stand to gain hapiness.  
  
**********  
  
Not even a mile away, Link was walking down the same dirt road that Malon walked or rode over every day-the dirt road that led to the ranch. Taking equal turns whistling and rehearsing the words he was going to say to Malon, Link almost didn't see the horses until they were right in front of him, puffs of air coming from their nostrils.   
  
One look at the brand etched into the flank of each one (the work of Ingo-Malon and Talon never would have committed such an act on their animals) and Link knew that the horses were none other than the ones from the ranch.  
  
He took action immediately. Grabbing the reins of all of them together, Link began leading the horses back in the direction of the ranch.   
  
Link hadn't gone more than a few steps when his path crossed with none other than Ingo's-and a gerudo girl's-the former of which was chasing after the latter.  
  
Ingo stopped in his tracks, panting and out of breath, when he saw Link standing with the array of different horses gathered around him. He reached out his hands as if he expected Link to put the reins of the various horses into them.  
  
"So that thief stole the rest of them, did she? Thanks. Give 'em back now."  
  
Link had made the choice to stand aside and not help Malon once, when he had first come back to the farm at seventeen and witnessed how it had changed. How she had changed. Link wasn't going to make that choice again.   
  
When he spoke, his strove to keep his voice from straying towards the anger he felt. "Why? So you can beat them and Malon even more?"  
  
Ingo, who didn't look even remotely disturbed at the accusation, just shrugged. "It's the only way to make a living."  
  
"Only way to make enough of a personal gain at the expense of others to satisfy you, you mean. No, you know..I don't think I will give you these horses back."  
  
Ingo's face contorted with rage. "Why you little. Gimme.."  
  
He reached out to grab the reins from Link's grasp, but Link saw his move and dropped the reins to the dust before Ingo could grab them, then spun around and gave Ingo a hefty punch to his jaw.  
  
"Sorry. These horses aren't yours. Never were. I'm just going to go return them to their proper owner, and you're going to go straight to Hyrule Castle and ask for work in the stables."  
  
Ingo laughed in Link's face. "Ha! Full of yourself, are you? Why would I do such a thing?"  
  
Link didn't so much as blink. "Because if you don't, I'll kill you. And that's a promise I will keep, no matter where you try to run or hide."  
  
Suddenly, a set of hoofbeats not coming from the horses Link held the reins to could be heard behind him.  
  
Turning around on the spot, Link was face to face with Ariana..carrying not quite her usual rider. The inky shadow of a gerudo grinned down at him and gave an equally infuriating sort of grin towards Ingo (who was naturally looking infuriated.)  
  
"Oh don't worry about HIM, hero of time. I'll follow and watch every step he takes towards Hyrule Castle. And every step he takes after that. I or one of the other gerudo will catch him if he tries to escape from his duties. And if he does, well..let's just say I'm afraid you won't have much of a chance to kill him." Here, the gerudo gave a rather nasty smile and fingered her the scimitar at her side lovingly.  
  
Ingo was about to try and skulk off on his own, but with the gerudo around, he didn't have a chance. Grabbing Ingo by the scruff of his neck, the gerudo threw him into the saddle behind her and rode off towards Hyrule Castle.  
  
***********  
  
Malon was just about to leave the ranch when a figure emerged out of the shadows and tried to walk through the gate-at the same time she tried to walk through, herself.  
  
Malon tried to sneak past him, but it didn't work. The figure obviously had no intentions of stepping to one side and allowing her to past. For a terrible moment, Malon's heart beat rapidly at the thought that the person could be Ingo. That was until the person spoke. And then Malon recognized that the voice was not Ingo's-as well as she recognized the familiarity surrounding it.  
  
"I believe you were missing these?"  
  
Link gestured to behind him and then Malon saw something else just as familiar. The horses from the ranch. The horses that she had set free to save them from Ingo. All of them, their manes and tails flicking back and forth in the wind.  
  
Malon stared at Link, awaiting some explanation.   
  
"You realize you might want to change the name of the ranch now? I was thinking something like, oh, I don't know, Lon Lon Ranch. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Link asked in a teasing tone.  
  
Malon's mouth gave a slight quirk. "I can't imagine where you came up with it. Why did you come here?"  
  
Even in the dark, she could see Link's face turn slightly red. "I came to rescue you," he admitted.  
  
"With my shawl?" asked Malon, noticing the article of clothing Link had rolled up in one of his hands.  
  
"That was my excuse for coming here to visit. Just in case you threatened to throw a frying pan at me or something."   
  
And no wonder. We didn't exactly part on the best of terms, thought Malon, remembering how she and Link had argued in front of the blacksmith's only a few hours before. Why had he bothered to come at all? And to rescue her? But why? If he was engaged, it was high time he said so and stopped confusing her by acting as if he cared. He didn't. Did he?  
  
"I just freed myself," Malon stated plainly.  
  
Link nodded. "I thought as much. Ran into a gerudo and Ingo on the way here. I took the liberty of sending him to work at Hyrule Castle." He tried to meet Malon's eyes even though she was holding her head down just to render that purpose useless. "Can you guess what position?"  
  
"I hope..I hope he has to shovel manure for the rest of his life," said Malon with a venemence she hadn't thought she had in herself.  
  
Link grinned, his teeth flashing in the darkness. "Naturally. Ingo loving hard work so much, I'm sure he'll enjoy himself. Especially with your gerudo friend's keeping an eye on him-along with her sword, I might add."  
  
There was no reason to free the horses if Ingo was never going to set even his little toe in the ranch again. Malon began leading the horses back the barn, Link following beside her.  
  
Finally, after all the horses had been led to their stables and Malon and Link were both once more outside with the cool air surrounding them, Malon spoke.  
  
"You came to free me. Even after all I said?" Malon was speaking of the time at the blacksmith's and of the dance.   
  
"What can I say? I'm determined."   
  
Malon looked at him curiously. "Determined about what?"  
  
Link gave her an unreadable look. "That I'll tell you. But I'd rather talk about it on the way to zora's river, if you don't mind."  
  
Malon raised an eyebrow. "And why, exactly, do you want to go to the river in the middle of the night?"  
  
"To explain things! And to well...I'll tell you that too as we walk there."  
  
Link waited until Malon gave a barely percievable nod. "Alright."  
  
Without further ado, both walked out the gate and began making their way- not following the road, but over hills, bushes, and flowers-to the zora's domain.  
  
"So you want to know what I'm determined about? It's what I've been trying to tell you for two days," Link said after a few moments of silence.  
  
"Oh." Malon, who had just finally had the courage to gaze up at Link's face, dropped her eyes back to the dirt and turned her back to him miserably. Not every one of your dreams can come true in one day, she told herself. You can't fly on your hopes..you'll only end up stumbling and falling.  
  
"You mean that you're going to marry Zelda. I know. I heard."  
  
Link put his hand on her shoulder to turn Malon to face him. The minute she was doing so, he dropped it, but Malon still felt the pressure on her shoulder long after his hand was gone, as if the touch had never stopped.  
  
"You're determined too, aren't you? You and I are also both stubborn to the point of being, how did you phrase it at the blacksmith's? Pigheaded." Link gave a half grin. "The perfect match," he muttered.  
  
"If you've come here to tease me," said Malon in a clipped voice. "I suggest you leave. You don't seem to handle flirting with more than one girl at a time very well. Maybe you should forget me and Zelda and just go for Navi instead."  
  
Link gave a sigh of defeat-and, as it seemed to Malon, a confusion almost matching her own.  
  
He enunciated every word slowly and clearly as if Malon was deaf. "Malon, what I've been trying to tell you for two days is that me and Zelda are NOT engaged-never were, in spite of what rumors said to the contrary. We aren't even considering it anymore. I broke it off with her."  
  
Not yet, Malon thought to herself. Not yet. Been dissapointed too many times. She wanted so desperately to look at his face, but yet...  
  
Malon continued to trace patterns in the dirt with her toe, staring at aforsaid toe with all the intent she could muster. "But she's the right one for you. She's a noble." A noble. The real reason Malon wasn't daring to so much as glance at Link.  
  
"She is not the right one for me. Din's fire, a noble doesn't describe someone's personality, does it? You yourself are not a servant anymore, remember?"  
  
Link raised Malon's chin with his finger to bring her to look at him. It was the same as when he had put his hand on her shoulder. Malon stared vaguely at the tree to the right of Link's head.  
  
"But I'm still a peasant," she whispered.  
  
Link gave a shrug. "So am I. Just one dressed in stupid gaudy clothes." Link suddenly yanked on Malon's arm to stop her from stepping forward. "Ones that I am all too happy to ruin now." Before Malon could say so much as word, Link had taken off his jacket and was laying it across the mud puddle that lay ahead of Malon's path.  
  
He gestured with a mock bow. "Well, what are you waiting for?"  
  
"I'm not-" Malon was about to restate that there was no reason for him, a noble, to do such a thing for a peasant, but Link cut her off.  
  
"You're as good as nobility to me. Better."  
  
Malon stepped over his jacket tenatively. Link's face said he wasn't poking fun at her-it was his way of saying he didn't care if she was a frog and he was a toad. He accepted her anyway. Didn't give a fig for stature or rank.  
  
Link considered her nobility-and he didn't care if anyone else's opinion said to the contrary. Her face flushing, Malon stooped over and picked Link's jacket back up from the muck for him.   
  
"Goodness, I hope you don't do that all the time. You'll run out of apparel." Malon smiled, making Link smile in return. Privately, he categorized the smile into his memory. The way her face lit up and her dimples deepened. Link hoped he would see such a smile again many times in the future.  
  
"That's the point. I miss the old 'fairyboy.'"  
  
Malon looked at Link for the first time on her own account. "So do I."  
"I love you." Malon's hands flew up to her mouth, horrified. She hadn't just said that. She couldn't have. It was her imagination. No. No. NO.   
  
But Link's response was not the negative one Malon had feared. Instead, he simply gazed right back at her, his coat still only halfway on. The world seemed frozen all around them and for a few seconds, Malon didn't dare breath or move.   
  
Then, the world seemed to thaw once again, and with it, so did Link. Dropping his coat to the ground once again (it must be in tatters by this point, thought Malon distractedly), he reached out, grabbed the unsuspecting Malon by the waist, pulled her close to him, and kissed her on the forehead.  
  
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that," he whispered against her skin.  
  
"I doubt as long as I have," Malon said shakily, feeling as if she were in some surreal dream. Soon she was going to pinch herself and wake up and life would be as it always had been..  
  
But the dream didn't end. It continued. And that, of course, was how Malon knew it was not a dream..only the coming true of one.  
  
"You won't doubt for long," Link promised. "Trust me."   
  
Trust Link. For the first time in her life, Malon felt she truly did.  
  
**********  
  
They had reached the Zora's river and Link had walked across from one platform of land on one bank to another piece of land on the other side of the same bank.   
  
"Shall we, my lady?" he said in a tone that caused Malon to give a small giggle, offering his hand from the other side of the river to help her across.  
  
Ignoring Link's hand, she waded across the river on her own, splashing in the water and getting utterly soaked in the process. Seeing Link, who had managed to cross the river and stay dry, Malon gave a mischevious smile and sent a splash of water in his direction.   
  
"I'm afraid I'll never be much of a lady."  
  
Link, now pretty much all the way soaked, laughed, water droplets dripping off the tips of his blonde hair and his nose.  
  
"You're absolutely right. How does 'fairygirl' suit you?"  
  
"Just fine. Though, I was leaning more towards she who got the Hero of Time sopping wet."  
  
Link looked at her warily. "What?"  
  
By the time he realized what she meant, it was too late. Malon grabbed his foot, causing him to trip and fall straight into the river-and right beside her. Treading water up to her chin, she chorkled as she watched Link resurface, stunned.  
  
"I warned-"  
  
But the rest of her statement never got finished as Link in turn dunked under the water, grabbed her foot, and caused her to be dragged under and come back up, her red hair now more than just a little damp at the tips.  
  
***********  
  
The two people were completely visible in the early morning light, both still wearing drenched clothes and lying in the equally drenched grass.  
  
Link rose from his sleeping place beside Malon in the grass and it was not the surroundings he glanced at (which, in the early morning, were a sight to behold) but Malon.  
  
The sun had turned to crystal the waterdrops in her hair; ice chards among fire. To Link, Malon, curled up and still asleep, a peaceful expression on her face, was more beautiful than Zelda in all her jewels and pearls could ever be.  
  
After awhile, Link's eyes shifted from Malon to the small book at her side. He reached over her and picked it up. A diary. She must have written in it last night after he fell asleep. Sure enough, clutched in her hand was a quill. Grasping that as well, Link had an idea. A strange idea, but perhaps a good one all the same.  
  
Link didn't read anymore of the diary than the last page, which caused him to smile. Then, using Malon's pen, he began to write an entry of his own.  
  
When he had finished, Link put the diary back beside Malon, but the pen he clutched in his own hands, falling (or, to his credit, at least pretending to fall) back asleep thus.  
  
The waters of the Zora's domain were steadily turning from the dark blue they had been early that morning to lighter and lighter shades. The sun was now truly rising, almost all the way up in the sky now. Another sunrise, which in Hyrule, were always pretty. But to Malon, just waking up, this sunrise was the most glorious of them all.  
  
From the sunrise, Malon's eyes next turned to Link in a manner similiar to the way he had looked at her earlier that morning-it was all Link could do not to open his eyes and show her that he was awake. He relieved his nervousness by clutching Malon's quill beneath his palm as tightly as possible.  
  
It was only a small matter of time before Malon spotted her diary as she had left it, the pages rustling with the breeze.  
  
Picking it up, Malon was about to close it when handwriting not her own caught her attention. Reading over the words, Malon felt a flux of emotions. Joy, disbelief, surprise, and rapidly following all that, a sense of absolute hapiness.  
  
Will you marry me? had been scrawled across the corner of the page. (There was, of course, much more to the message than that, but Malon kept that to herself. The words were too dear to say aloud.)  
  
It was then that Link opened his eyes and smiled at her as she gaped at him.   
He held out the quill between two of his fingers. "Need this?"  
  
Malon took it wordlessly. Words weren't needed. In her eyes, it was reflected what the answer would be. Those eyes that expressed everything. Her pain when she had found Link and Zelda together, her uncertainty and shyness when they had danced together.. Link treasured every different expression.  
  
Especially the one she was showing right then. It was all Link could do not to kiss her right away, and all Malon could do not to kiss Link, but they used self restraint..they had both (especially Malon) learned all they needed to about presumptions.  
  
Malon wrote 'yes' in a trembling hand. As she was forming the 'S', Link, who had been watching over her shoulder, sneaked his hand over hers and kissed her soundly, causing the writing to dribble off the page into oblivion (or the bottom of Link's shoe, which was close enough.)  
  
Link let out a whoop and twirled her around, her dress brushing against the blades of grass and the various flowers, Malon studying his face all the while. A face, that wonderfully, mirrored the expression of her own.  
  
And it didn't matter that Link had forgotten the ring he had tucked in his tunic or that Malon was now stepping on a rock. Nothing matters when you realize you love that other person-not temporary, but will until the end of your days. You see the real them as if for the first time, and have the satisfaction of knowing you will see them in the same light for the rest of your life.  
  
Because love can only be fulfilled by one thing..love in return.   
  
And that is the most essential fairytale of them all.  
  
**************  
  
High in the sky above the Zora's domain, a fledgling bird flew through the air, not faltering and stumbling as had the other baby birds before him, but soaring-in a crooked and zizagged fashion, admittedly-but still soaring, never the less. The bird stretched in flight, free, but yet contained at the same time in the arms of the blue sky that held him.  
  
And somewhere far below, in Link's embrace, Malon opened one of her closed eyes, saw the bird, and grinned.  
  
*************  
The end..of the beginning.  
  
----  
Oh HONESTLY..I warned you it was mushy, didn't I?:)  
So how'd I do? 


End file.
